#legends and lattes book review

[flavia8]

Legends and Lattes is completely fine. By no means is it a bad book. It's just very "shallow". Everything is conveniently solved within 2 chapters, and the only character who maybe has kinda an arc is the main character, Viv. Every other character is one dimensional imo and only serves to prop up the main character. Which. Tbf is somewhat the purpose of Side characters, as well as MC's. But! Not in the way they're written here. All characters are components in the story, but they should still feel like they have their own motivations. Here the side characters don't have any motivations of their own really?

Also the blurb says - High Fantasy, Low stakes. And boy where the stakes low. I genuinely don't mind low stakes stories! But. There has to be something. If everything is resolved in 2 chapters max it's. Not compelling. In the absence of external conflict, there's internal conflict but this story didn't do either super well.

Viv doesn't know how to run a business? Oh dw Tandri a business genius just decides to work for her.

Viv wants to start serving desserts with coffee? Surprise surprise a chef comes to work for her and "invents" cinnamon rolls.

Viv occasionally has an internal conflict but it's not really relevant. She also has the same internal conflict repeatedly in the same way, not really any development in how she handles the issue. Also the particular internal conflict just sort of shows up in the middle of the book? Which can happen sometimes irl things like this can seem super sudden but there are small signs and buildup. I don't think there was enough, in this case.

This is all "explained" by the fact Viv buried an enchanted luck rock under her cafe while building it (she was immediately able to purchase a building for cheap, and hire a builder who conveniently had no other work and was the best and gave her a discount just bc he liked her" which I know does happen irl but like. They just met.)

Also. High Fantasy? That's a stretch I think. The only "High Fantasy" thing about this is that there are orcs, elves, gnomes, Succubi ect. And I suppose the magic deus ex machina rock and other magic. But it's not utilized effectively. All the deserts are stuff we have irl, nothing magic or fantastic about them. Coffee is just coffee. The town they live in is just a town. It could literally be set in the City I live in, and nothing would change, no joke.

The premise was quite lovely, and fun. I also think that the dynamics between the characters were quite sweet (though they could be deeper) also. The food descriptions were great, though I could just be a perpetually hungry bitch. Though I think it relied on generic DND stereotypes slightly too much (Orcs and Elves hate each other for reasons). The writing is very lovely. Flows well and fits the desired tone of the story very well! Baldree is a great writer, I just think he needs a bit more practice with story structure and character development in a novel. I am interested in his other work and his journey as an author, it will be nice to see the growth. In conclusion, Legends and Lattes is a sweet, if a bit of a generic read.

3/5*

[ladyloveandjustice]

My Favorite Books I Read in 2023

I read a ton of good novels last year- 36 in all (and uh, 78 manga/graphic novels, but we'll examine that in another post). Here's a link to my Goodreads year in books (the manga is at the beginning, the novels start with Siren Queen) and my storygraph wrap up.  

I reread a ton of Discworld this year, and it's as spectacular as ever. But what about new reads?

Well, here are my favorite books I read in 2023!

In the Dream House by Carmen Maria Machado

This is an autobiographical memoir about the abusive relationship the author went through with her ex-girlfriend. It's absolutely gut-wrenching, and at times, achingly beautiful. Machado uses the house she shared with her girlfriend, which she calls the "dream house", as a back drop. It's a place she always wanted and also a place she became trapped in, Machado's language is beautiful as she explores the relationship from different lenses-- The Dream House as Lesbian Cult Classic, the Dream House as Noir, the Dream House as Creature Feature, the Dream House as Stoner Comedy....All facets of the relationship are explored in a way that grips you by the throat and makes you remember everyone who ever tried to suffocate you-- but it also explores the hard work of moving on, of picking up the pieces, of living and embracing tenderness along with hardship.

I especially related to Machado's struggle to talk about abuse between queer lovers because of her fears of giving homophobes more ammunition...and when she says "we deserve to have our wrongdoing represented as much as our heroism, because when we refuse wrongdoing as a possibility for a group of people, we refuse their humanity", I felt that deeply.

This wasn't just one of my favorite books this year, it goes on the list of all-time favorite books. I wish I had this kind of writing style. I'll be returning to this again and again.

Zachary Ying and the Dragon Emperor by Xiran Jay Zhao

A middle-grade novel about a Chinese-American teen who feels a bit alienated from his heritage, which becomes a bit of an issue once he finds out the First Emperor of China has possessed his A.R. Gaming Headset. Now he needs to close a portal to the underworld with the help of other kids possessed by emporers.

This was a whole lot of fun, and often quite poignant. I was unsure if I could really enjoy middle-grade books as an adult, and this absolutely proves I can. There's a lot of really interesting Chinese history blended with action-packed fantasy, and exploration of the complicated feelings a kid can have about their own heritage . The dynamic between Zachary and Qin Shi Huang was so entertaining with the Emperor being villainous, heroic, charismatic, detestable-- and Zachary realizing how his complicated feelings about him mirror his relationship with his culture at large. There was also a lot of fun with other historical figures, and Xiran's take on Wu Zetian is a joy. (Also, if you like Yu-Gi-Oh!, you'll probably like this, since Xiran says it was one of their influences).

Camp Damascus by Chuck Tingle

Rose is young woman who's raised in a fundamentalist Christian household, and she's a devout, obedient daughter. But some weird things are happening. She's seeing a terrifying demon everywhere, insects are coming out of her mouth....and she's possibly having feelings about other girls. What's going on?

Yes, this is by the Chuck Tingle who makes all those Tinglers. But THIS one... will make you tingle with fear! It's a great horror novel! It's skin-crawlingly creepy at times, but also does a great job digging into how fundamentalist dogma harms queer people, and the hypocrisy of such beliefs. The conversion camp aspect is handled tastefully, and overall it was a great spooky read that's also ultimately very affirming, cathartic, and hopeful.

Qualia the Purple by Hisamitsu Ueo

You might go into this thinking it's just a quirky yuri light novel about a schoolgirl and her crush who sees everyone around her as robots (like literally, when she looks at someone she sees a robot instead of a human). But it quickly becomes surreal queer psychological horror steeped in absolutely wild applications of quantum mechanics and thought-provoking time travel.  Some of the quantum mechanics  exposition dumps were a bit much but I deeply enjoyed having my mind cracked open by this book. 

It's one of the most interesting takes of time loop stories I've seen. But it definitely covers a lot of rough subject matter, including a relationship with a serious age gap and extremely messed up relationships, so be cautious if you have triggers.

Our Wives Under the Sea by Julia Armfield

This book follows Miri, whose wife goes missing on a deep-sea submarine mission for six months. Miri thought her wife dead, but she miraculously returns one day...but her wife has changed. She's like a stranger. She may have bought the horrors of the sea home with her.

This is a gripping exploration of grief and loss combined with a delicious, slow horror that creeps under your skin. There's excellent Lovecraftian and body horror elements to the novel, but it works very effectively as a metaphor for a loved one going through trauma, and a relationship starting to crumble because everything seems different. A moment that really stuck out to me is when Miri copes with her wife's disappearance by frequenting an online community where women roleplay as wives with husbands missing in space. The way the online drama of the community interacted with her grief was  both funny and heartbreaking. 

This is another example of a book that makes me deeply jealous with its lyrical writing, and another one for the ever-lengthening all time favorites list.

Otherside Picnic Volume 8: Accomplices No More by Iori Miyazawa

The latest entry in a series about two girls exploring an alternate dimension full of creepypasta monsters, while also falling in love with each other. See my other reviews here and here.

This volume has the payoff to a lot of careful character work and relationship building, and it was completely satisfying. In fact, it was...show-stopping. Spectacular.  Incredible. I loved the exploration of how love, sex, and romance are so different for different people and it's impossible to put it in neat boxes. The frank and messy conversation our leads have about their relationship was perfect and so was that absolutely  bonkers, wonderful finale. This is another one for the all times favorite list, and I loved it so much I wrote a extremely long review/recap here. 

Queer Ducks (and Other Animals): The Natural World of Animal Sexuality by Eliot Schrefer

This was a well-researched, well-crafted, easy to read book that explores queerness (mainly homosexuality, bisexuality, trans and genderfluid expressions in animals, and even the question of if and how animals can related to gender) in the animal kingdom. Though it's definitely aimed at teens, I learned a lot from it (who knew female bonobos were such life goals) and it presented its information in a fun way. It included some interesting examinations of how proof of homosexuality and bisexuality in animals was historically suppressed and filtered through homophobic assumptions. If you want to learn a little animal science in an accessible format, definitely check this out.

Night’s Edge by Liz Kerin

The story follows Mia, a woman in her 20's living with her vampire mother. Her whole life revolves around not drawing suspicion towards her Mom. She also has to make sure to feed her Mom some of her blood every night--lest her mother fall back in with her abusive boyfriend and start hunting humans.  But when Mia meets a cute girl, she starts to dream of living her own life...

It was a really interesting use of vampirism as a metaphor for both living with a parent struggling with addiction and having an abusive parent. It's just a well-told, heartwrenching tale that got deep into the character's mindsets. I thought the ending was bit abrupt and rushed, but it did make more sense once I realized this was the first in a duology. It's a fascinating take on vampires, and I'm interested in seeing more.

The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi by Shannon Chakraborty

This novel follows a middle-aged Muslim female pirate living around the Arabian Peninsula. She's supposed to be in retirement, but wouldn't you know it, she's lured in for one last job! I she rescues a kidnapped girl,  she'll have all the riches she needs to set her family up for life. So Amina begins her adventure of fighting demons and monsters and ex-husbands. But the job might not be all it seems.

This novel is full of all the entertaining swashbuckling action and shenanigans that any pirate story should have. It's a rollicking good time, and feeds my craving for middle aged women going on quests and kicking ass. Amina's journey is a fun, wild ride full of dynamic characters and interesting mythology!

Yellowface by R.F. Kuang

Juniper is friends with a successful Chinese-American author, Athena Liu, and has always been deeply jealous of her. When Athena dies in front of her, Juniper decides to steal her manuscript rooted in Chinese history and claim it as her own. But plagiarism might catch up with her...

This is a strong example of a book I thought was really well-done, but one I'm probably never going to read again. The way it depicted Twitter drama is just too accurate and I got anxiety. It did such a good job putting you in Juniper's awful shoes so you can feel the pressure close in along with her. The book's commentary on the insidious racism of the publishing industry was effective, and it made a horrible character's journey fascinating to follow. I was so intrigued yet anxious I had to force myself to finish the last few pages.

Bonus read:

Legends and Lattes by Travis Baldtree

A very cute novel about an orc named Viv who decides to retire from the violent life of a bounty hunter and run a coffee shop instead. She ends up getting a lot of assistance from a succubus named Tandri...and my, is that a slow-burn coffee shop romance brewing? This book reminds me a lot of various cozy slice-of-life anime, and it's nice to be getting more of that feeling in book form. I wish there was a little more specific to the fantasy world rather than making it a coffee shop that line up 1 to 1 to a modern day shop, but it was definitely a sweet read.

[highabovethecloudssomewhere]

Bi-Yearly Book Catalogue (2024)

Every book I’ve read the past six months and what I thought, told as briefly as I can manage.

One Star Books:

Loveless by Alice Oseman

I understand that this book was helpful for a lot of people. It was the opposite of helpful for me.

The Midnight Library by Matt Haig

My gripes with this can be whittled down into: this writer does not understand depression but really, really wants to cure it. Also, if you do decide to give this book a try, please mind the subject material. It really, really isn’t for everyone.

Two Star Books:

N/A

Three Star Books:

A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman

A simple book about an old man learning to want to live again. Where ‘The Midnight Library’ failed for me, this one succeeded. If you plan to read this one, be mindful of the content warnings. It also isn’t for everyone.

Lily and the Octopus by Steven Rowely

It’s about a dog who has cancer. I think that says it all. There were parts of this book I really liked and parts I really didn’t like. It lost me halfway through and I stopped caring about the stakes, which is really upsetting when the stakes are a dog. But the good parts are really, really good. Just be mindful of the premise going into it.

In the Lives of Puppets by TJ Klune

I liked the character work, loved the world building and on a technical level the writing was well-done. My gripes have to do with the story’s internal contradictions and how the only character traits I can think of for the main character are “asexual” and “inventor,” neither of which are explored properly (emphasis on asexual here). I didn’t like that despite being 21, the main character was narratively treated like a child, often involving his sexuality. I had to google how old he was multiple times because I couldn’t believe he wasn’t in his mid-teens given how he reacted to the story and how the story treated him. Loved the writing on a technical level, though, and I do plan to read more from this author.

Four Star Books:

Legends and Lattes by Travis Baldree

A COFFEE shop AU? In MY high fantasy? If you like DnD, low-stakes high-fantasy and fun character work, give this one a read. It’s very cozy.

A Psalm for the Wild-Built by Becky Chambers

It’s a book about a nonbinary tea monk and a robot who lives in the mountains. Slow-paced with good vibes and great world building. I read it in an evening and came away from it feeling warm.

The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller

Achilles and Patroclus’ relationship breaks my heart again. This was incredibly well-written and appropriately devastating. I just wanted them to be happy.

Countdown to Countdown by Kong Xiao Tong (graphic novel)

I bought a physical copy of this because I’ve always loved the artist’s work and wanted to support, and I enjoyed it a LOT. Beautiful art, fantastic characters. I know not everyone can avoid a physical copy, but the webcomic is available to read for free online and I highly recommend giving it a try.

Our Dining Table by Ori Mita (manga)

Learning to enjoy mealtime with loved ones again after childhood trauma? Y’all. It’s a single-volume manga and it’s well worth your time.

Five Star Books:

Beartown by Fredrik Backman

This was the most devastating book I’ve ever read. If you are interested in reading it: find a list of content warnings first. I went in blind. It is hauntingly real and the author handled the material so, so well. I can’t recommend this book without that caveat. But it’s one of the best-written books I’ve read.

The Saturday Night Ghost Club by Craig Davidson

This book is about a man looking back on his life as a boy - the friends he made and the misadventurous ghost-hunts his uncle dragged them into. It’s just the right amount of campy with fun characters and a brilliant use of prose. If you’re a less experienced reader and want a book that is easily digestible while also being extraordinarily well-written, I’d recommend this book in a heartbeat, and it’s every bit as entertaining for more advanced readers.

What you are looking for is in the library by Aoyama Michiko

Five stories about five people, all in different stages of life, and their unique experiences with the same librarian and the same library. Individually, each character in each story has their unsatisfying lives changed in an unexpectedly simple way, thanks to the library. There’s nothing wild about this book, but it is wildly impactful. The library is for everyone!

Tress of the Emerald Sea by Brandon Sanderson

Heroine travels the treacherous seas to save the man she loves. It’s a book about perspectives and joy and making unlikely friends, breaking curses through clever means and never, ever giving up. It has all the whimsy of a classic fairytale, yet not once could I predict how it was going to end. It’s fast-paced and hard to put down. The world is intriguing and the characters are wonderful.

This Is How You Lose the Time War by Amal El-Mohtar and Max Gladstone

This book is utterly mind-bending and I loved it. Two time-travelers chase each other through reality on opposing sides of the Time War and gradually fall in love. It’s great. The biggest complaint I see leveled at this book comes from less experienced readers who struggle to follow the narrative - and I do agree, if you’re just getting into reading for fun this might be a book to save for later. But don’t let me stop you. I loved this book.

Conclusion:

Reading is great. Libraries are your friend. I always love book recommendations and I’m on GoodReads as BeyondTheClouds777, predictably. If any of y’all take a stab at these books (or have taken stabs in the past), I’d love to hear your thoughts! I’m back in my bookworm era and thriving.

[franticvampirereads]

This was so cozy and warm that I didn’t want it to ever end! I loved the sleepy little beach town, the bookshop, the bakery, just… everything about this book made my heart so happy. Getting to see a younger Viv finding her footing in the world and planting the seeds for a far off dream was one of those things that really made this book shine. I loved getting to see Viv defying expectations and making friends and falling in love. This is the kind of book that you can curl up with a cup of tea and a snack and just get lost with in its pages for hours. Bookshops & Bonedust is getting a solid four and half stars!

[kazz-brekker]

i enjoy that between legends and lattes, the unspoken name, and how to become the dark lord and die trying, a new and highly specific emerging trend in adult fantasy novels appears to be "lesbian orcs"

[freshlybrewedbookreviews]

Legends & Lattes by Travis Baldree

I adored this book. It felt like a warm hug; a cozy blanket wrapped around me on a chilly day; the first sip of hot cocoa/tea/cocoa after a cold walk; fuzzy socks…basically, all of the things that make me feel calm, held, and cozied up.

The premise is an orc opening up a coffee shop. Other things happen, but that's the delight of it: the tagline of "high fantasy, low stakes" completely delivers on its promise. As someone who reads entirely too many high stakes novels, this was a refreshing departure, and it was extremely enjoyable. I'm looking forward to Baldree's next novel.

[charliejaneanders]

What happens when an elite warrior becomes the boon companion to a group of peaceful oddballs and begins to develop skills that have nothing to do with combat? Along the way to finding an answer, the hardened warriors in these stories find purpose, connection, and even love.

My latest SFF book review column for the Washington Post looks at System Collapse by Martha Wells, Bookshops & Bonedust by Travis Baldree, and A River of Golden Bones by AK Mulford (paywall-free link)

[literary-illuminati]

Book Review 48 – Legends and Lattes by Travis Baldree

I will be honest, I read this book because it was nominated for a Hugo award and I have a mildly masochistic personal commitment to read every nominee I can (and so remain at least slightly aware of the genre at large). Otherwise, I’m quite certain I never would have touched it – everything about the pitch and marketing made it seem like something I would hate. I’ll try to be fair and approach the book on its own terms but, well it wasn’t exactly painful I wouldn’t say my initial impression was wrong either.

The book follows Viv, an orcish adventurer in a generic D&D fantasy sort of world, as she decides to retire from the dungeon-delving/monster-slaying game with her last big score – a magical stone that, when buried, is supposed to bring ‘the ring of fortune’ to whatever you do above it. She opens the city’s first and only coffee shop. The book follows her collecting a cast of lovable misfit friends/employees (Calamity the hobgoblin carpenter, Tandri the succubus barista/eventual love interest, Thimble the ratfolk baking savant, a bard whose name I’m blanking on, Amity the dire shop cat/security) as they run the business and develop it into what by complete coincidence will end up looking very familiar to the a cute quirky modern indie coffeeshop. There is theoretically some conflict happening, first with the local mob boss and then with one of Viv’s old adventuring companions, but they both feel pretty perfunctory and like they’re only included out of a sense of obligation.

The actual meat of the book is basically focused on Viv instantly becoming fast friends with all her employees/coworkers and how endearing they are, and also the step-by-step of the coffeeshop's development. First in renovating the property into her vision, then in the branding and marketing, and then the gradual addition of menu items and live music. Through it all Viv and Tandri have a developing romance that (rather appropriately) feels like a coffeeshop AU fanfic where the author decided the slowburn tag meant ‘every other character will just assume they’re already dating by the halfway point but they’ll act like flustered teenagers and refuse to actually discuss their feelings until they kiss on the literal last page’.

So, the book is ‘cozy fantasy’ which as far as I’m aware does basically means ‘no tension slice of life fanfic but with original characters’ (alternatively, ‘2000s ‘cute girls doing cute things’ anime but with a moderately more diverse cast and in sf/f book form’). The only other books in the genre I’ve read are Becky Chambers’ stuff which, while I didn’t particularly love them, I now feel I was being way too harsh on. Those have legitimately impressive worldbuilding and coherent themes and at least gestures at real compelling character arcs and dilemmas. This, well, what you see is what you get? Like, there’s zero false marketing, the entire book is entirely dedicated to hitting the exact broad emotional beats you would expect it to. There’s not really any interest in the world beyond the cafe, it is in fact a plot point that Viv attracts a found family she clicks perfectly with and their relationships are all uniformly positive, and there is exactly one point where she suffers any sort of real reversal – which lasts for about five pages before everyone comes together and rebuilds things even better than ever. There is a wizened gnome whose clearly living time backwards who takes the time to pat Viv on the should and reassure her that everything turns out alright, in about as many words. There's clearly a market for this, and I am not it.

Morality in the book is basically synonymous with niceness. If someone is friendly or at least polite to Viv then even if they seem like an obvious problem in the end they’ll turn out to have their heart in the right place and only want the best – as, for example, the local crime boss proves to be a nice old lady who accepts an order of cinnamon buns every week as ‘protection money’ and donates several shipments of materials to rebuilding the place without any expectation of payment or stake in return. The only two characters in the book who are rude assholes to someone in the cafe are also coincidentally the only real villains there are.

All of this is stuff that on some level I more or less expected opening into the book. The thing that actually disappointed me is that this fluffy book about opening a coffee shop doesn’t actually care about coffee. If you’re going to make it the centrepiece of your whole book, I expect some exultation and appreciation of the stuff! Give me self-indulgent passages going into detail about the smell and taste and smell and experience of it. Make me put down the thing actually craving a latte!

But the book’s mostly interested in the, like, trappings and signifiers associated with a cafe, not (despite Viv’s theoretical obsession with it) the actual coffee. This feels like a point that generalizes. (There actually is a decent amount of detail spent on the baked goods their genius baker invents, which just makes the lack feel stranger.)

As an aside, and I know this is very clearly not a book that expects you to care about the worldbuilding, but it’s kind of strange that coffee is presented as this new exotic novelty to a vaguely European fantasy metropolis that is explicitly already familiar and comfortable with tea? Like obviously the historical analogues aren’t worth getting into – Viv is creating a cute neighberhood coffeehouse by a college campus, no a 17th century Venetian cafe – but it’s not the first place I’ve seen the same portrayal of the two drinks and it’s, odd? Like it’s not like tea is any less foreign to Europe, or arrived particularly earlier.

But anyway, yeah, didn’t enjoy this but can’t say I was misled. It is in fact a book that you can entirely judge by its cover and not be surprised one bit.

[godzilla-reads]

☕️ Legends & Lattes by Travis Baldree

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

I am so thankful that someone borrowed this book to me because I absolutely loved it! Described as a “high fantasy, low stakes” story, LEGENDS & LATTES follows Viv (an orc) who has left her life of bounties and fighting behind. Now, she works to open up a coffee shop in the city of Thune, despite struggles such as rivals and explaining to people what coffee even is.

Like I said, I loved this book. It was very wholesome and it moved at such a calming pace, though it was never lacking. All the characters were so fleshed out and interesting, along with the landscapes. One of my favorite parts was how they took modern inventions and re-invented them for the fantasy world (ie. Ceiling fans, chocolate croissants, etc).

The end of the story, The Epilogue, was such a treat that really made the journey even better. I have to say my favorite character was Gallina whenever she’d show up. I love a knife-wielding gnome!

[writerlunawinters]

Title: Legends & Lattes

Author: Travis Baldree

Genre: Cozy Fantasy, Romance

Published: February 22, 2022

My Thoughts: Cozy fantasy is now all I ever want to read. Ever.

Viv, a battle-weary orc, is set to open the first coffee shop in Thune after a lifetime of battles and bloodshed. However, she faces obstacles from old and new rivals, as well as a lack of knowledge about coffee. To make her plans a reality, Viv must work with travelers who may become partners, family, or something deeper than she could have imagined.

There is something so relaxing about reading a book you know will end well. While I love tension, cozy plotlines are a breath of fresh air.

Not that there aren’t ups and downs. Travis does a great job of weaving light tension into the coziest of atmospheres. You will be instantly transported into his world and, once sitting at the coffee shop, will never want to leave.

I would recommend this to anyone who loves fantasy, D&D, and the vibes you get from your local coffeehouse. Wholesome and relaxing, you’ll find yourself picking this up every year.

[readingthief]

Legends and Lattes by Travis Baldree is a cute, wholesome read in a high fantasy setting. It’s full of found family, mouth-watering descriptions of coffee and sweet treats, and altogether a very cozy read.

I recommend if you want something low stakes but that has all the vibes of a fantasy world.

[princessofmanyfaces]

Legends & Lattes

A 5 Star read for me | FIVE STARS

First of all I wanna say, I'm a Thimble stan. My boy is adorable af and I want to wrap him in a blanket and protect him at all costs

VIV AND TANDRI? I LOVEEEEEEE

And the Found Family 😭❤️ I LOVED THEM ALL (Except Fennus. Fuck Fennus.) also AMITY MY GIRL, I love the cat with my whole entire heart. 

This book was so cozy and calm and relaxing and amazing if you need a break of action but don't want to leave the fantasy genre

It was just cute and I want to hig this book and all its characters

Viv just wanted to retire and have a calm life and on top of that she found a new family and my heart is so full

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

[sophiesbookishthings]

January Reads

I'm Glad My Mom Died by Jennette McCurdy

My non fiction read for the year! I listened to the audio book for this one which I definitely recommend. Jennette McCurdy deserves only good things for the rest of her life.

5/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Come Tumbling Down by Seanan McGuire

Wayward Children #5! Such an underrated series. Jack and Jill and the moors are my favorite. Also it's gay.

5/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Legends and Lattes by Travis Baldree

Queer cozy fantasy! I loved how chill and kind this book was.

5/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern

I think about this book daily. The way everything tied together in this book was brilliant. I loved the concept of the reveurs in particular.

5/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J Maas

Ah the faerie books. I finally gave in and read this. It was fine. It was very basic fantasy romance. It wasn't bad, it was just unfortunately overhyped. Don't love the mc though she's kinda annoying.

3.75/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️✨️

Return of the King by JRR Tolkien

Lord of the rings my beloved! I could scream about any lotr book forever so I'm just gonna say Samwise Gamgee is the character ever and I love faramir and he deserves only good things forever. Also the ending of this series takes my heart out and stomps on it.

5/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

In the Lives of Puppets by TJ Klune

Tj Klune is a master of found family and I will read everything he writes forever. This book also had an autistic ace mc, an anxious roomba, and a sadistic nurse droid and I adored every single one of them.

5/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Red Rising by Pierce Brown

I feel like I should like this book more than I did. The mc just felt too perfect and like a societal ideal of masculinity that I really didn't care about that much. And I think to some extent it may have been the point but it still felt off to me. Started this in print and switched to audio cause the writing was not my favorite. Idk if I'll continue this series or not.

3/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Piranesi by Susanna Clarke

I went into this thinking it was about a satyr because of the cover. I was disappointed a few chapters in when I realized it was not. I did however really enjoy this book anyway. Very interesting how it resolves.

5/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J Maas

Definitely better than acotar. Feyre's somewhat less annoying. Still think this series is overhyped but I do get it now. Also I don't get why everyone acts like this is straight porn. It's so tame lol but I read fanfic so 🤷. I do appreciate that this book went more into the politics of the world. Definitely made it more interesting.

4.5/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨️

[franticvampirereads]

I’ve struggled on and off for years with reading high fantasy books because they’re all so similar and get bogged down in all the high stakes drama. But Legends & Lattes really changed the game for me. This was the coziest and sweetest thing I’ve read in a while and I loved that it revolves around a little coffee shop in a fantasy/dnd-like setting. It was so much fun to see a fantasy world from this perspective! It was so different and cozy and unique. I wish there were more books like this one.

I loved Viv and the found family that she made for herself. Tandri and Cal were amazing and helpful and grounding for Viv. And Thimble! I just wanted to eat all the pastries that he made. This book made me so hungry, it’s not even funny! Another thing that I loved about this book was the quiet queerness of it. It was so soft and gentle. I also really liked that this story was about Viv finding a new place for herself after she decided to retire from adventuring. It was so nice to see her build a business from the ground up and finally be able to settle down to enjoy it.

If it’s not obvious yet, this was a really great read and I’m looking forward to whatever comes next for this series. I’m giving Legends & Lattes a solid five stars!

Reading Challenge Prompt Fills:

PopSugar 2023: written as part of NaNoWiMo

Read Queerly 2023: Fantasy

Shop Your Shelves: new to me author, bestseller

[quinnharlock]

I've been in a reading slump during April, so I thought it'd be good to look back at the books I've read so far this year. It's been a productive few months!

✦ Books Read: 18 (As of May 1st.)

✦ Average Rating: 4.36 / 5

✦ Favorite Book: Tie between The Name of the Wind and The Gate of the Feral Gods

[boekenworm]

Two in One Book Review

I wouldn't normally do this, but I finished both books on the same day, and they shaped my day (well most of the evening / night) as well. I'll start with the first book I finished.

Legends & Lattes

Travis Baldree

Day started: July 17th 2024

Day finished: July 20th 2024

This was a quick read for me. When I first started, the fantasy talk overwhelmed me for the first few pages. I'm not used to fantasy anymore; I read a lot of horror and nonfiction and my read before that was an autobiographic book about an autistic young woman. It was dizzying when I got back into fiction - with high fantasy nonetheless! As I read more my brain started to ease into the story and I could read just fine, in fact it was really what they advertised it would be. High fantasy, low stakes. I enjoyed every second of it. I felt so cozy and I wish I could live in that world. I felt right at home, and I didn't know that cozy fantasy could be a thing for me. It's what stardew valley does for me when I need to relax with a game, but now with a book. Ultimate palette cleanser. Turn off your brain and go drink some coffee.

4/5 ⭐️

___________

The Girl In White

Lindsay Currie

Day Started: June 16th 2024

Day Finished: July 20th 2024

A Middle Grade (?) Horror book that grabbed my attention because of the cover art (and the low price). This was a nice surprise! The first time I picked this up I expected to breeze through it, but I ended up having to pause it and read other books. I wasn't as hooked as I was the second time I picked it up, in which I DID breeze through it and I was glad that I picked it back up. The story is interesting and has a mystery to it. I would recommend it for youngsters that like horror but aren't old enough for those creepypastas.

3.5/5 ⭐️